Ulrich-Jamaica Hospital Social Media Partnership to Promote Public Health

PHOTO: Councilman Ulrich and the community affairs team at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center will distribute information regarding public health and wellness to the residents of Queens via various social media platforms. File Photo

By Forum Staff

City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center this week announced that they have formed a social media partnership to distribute information regarding public health and wellness to the residents of Queens.

Ulrich’s office will collect constituents’ health questions and concerns and pass the most popular and pressing inquiries to the hospital’s community affairs team, who will then get answers from some of JHMC’s top doctors before creating user-friendly posts for Facebook and Twitter.

Both Ulrich and Jamaica Hospital will share the items with their respective social networks. In addition, Ulrich said he will save printed copies of all the posts for constituents who do not use social media.

“I’m excited to partner with Jamaica Hospital so together we can provide Queens residents with important health and wellness information,” Ulrich said. “With so much misinformation that circulates the internet, it’s important we ensure residents have access to accurate, up-to-date information regarding their health. This partnership does just that. It will help residents stay healthy, informed, and safe.”

One of the first issues the partnership will address is the Zika virus, which has infected 691 people in the United States and more than 1,300 in territories of the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We are happy to be working with Councilman Eric Ulrich. He shares our passion for improving the health of the communities we serve,” said Michael Hinck, director of Public Affairs for Jamaica Hospital. “There are regions in Queens where the rate of developing certain chronic illnesses are considerably higher when compared to the rest of New York City. Our hospital and Councilman Ulrich will collaborate to provide area residents with information that will help them to live a healthier lifestyle.”